DEVOTIONS

Why Were They There In The First Place?
February 16, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 4:12-15
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life. Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

       I have watched a few of the Court Programs on TV. Some are good, some are weird, yet all are examples of real life. There’s always a Defendant and a Plaintiff. As I listen, I hear people try to defend themselves. Rarely do I hear the defense say, “I was not there.” Most of the problems come from illicit relationships, drunken parties, wrong friends, and the like. My first question is most often, “Why were they there in the first place?”

     I saw a news report about a tragic incident at a party where a second-floor balcony, where young people were drinking and dancing, collapsed, resulting in casualties among the partygoers below. It’s truly a devastating event. Yet, it raises the question: “What led them to be in that situation in the first place?”

     I read in the paper about a stage catching fire in a nightclub due to a malfunction during a band’s show. Several people were trampled to death, and some burned in the blaze. This is horrible. Nevertheless, I must ask again, ‘Why were they there in the first place?’

     God’s Word warns us about drinking and its effect on a person’s judgment. The music being played is typically anything but godly, but it lures people into a trap. Why are people there in the first place? These are all part of Satan’s deadly snares.

     These people were harmed, or killed, because they were there. In our verses today, God tells us; “Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.”     

 

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

   These are visible examples of what can happen when you find yourself in the wrong place, listening to the wrong things, or hanging out with the wrong crowd. However, this mental struggle occurs within everyone who believes they are getting away with sin. Where will you be when you finally realize you’re in the wrong place? Will it be too late?

Will you take hold of God’s instructions for life?

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage, and todays Devotion?

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

  

GOD TALKING TO ME: FEBRUARY 16, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
    Leviticus 23 – Leviticus 25
   Proverbs 4:12 – 15

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
   Leviticus 9-11
   Matthew 27:33-66

Who Would You Hire?
February 15, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 4:9-11
She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

       Let’s just pretend a little today. Imagine for a moment that you own a company. You are getting ready to hire a new supervisor to oversee the operations so you can take more time to manage the affairs of your business. Two qualified people are waiting in your office to be interviewed. Both of them work for you now, so before you interview them, you go to the shop and ask their co-workers about them.

     You begin by hearing things such as Mr. One is a goody-two-shoes. He’s one of those people who won’t take a minute extra for a break unless there’s a meeting or something, and he always runs to the boss if there is a problem. Mr. Two is more like the rest of us. He works hard and gets his job done. He’s flexible with his time, even takes extra breaks, but still gets the job done. Mr. One is not really hated by anyone, but he’s not the social butterfly either. He’s just a person who does his job and then goes home. He’ll never go to parties after work because his wife seems to have him tied around her finger. He says he needs to spend time with her and his family instead of us. Mr. Two is also known as Mr. Popularity, especially after work when everyone goes out to party. He is really a lot of fun, usually the life of the party, funny, and the last one to leave.

     Okay, you are heading back to your office. Without any other information, whom will you reward with the position of Foreman? Most people would say the position goes to Mr. One, and rightly so. Why? Because he lives by godly principles of honesty, dependability, and loyalty toward those he loves.

     Living for Jesus and applying the wisdom from His word will be rewarded here in this life and throughout eternity.    

 

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

   Doing what is right may seem boring in the eyes of the world. Nevertheless, when searching for leaders, they seek dependable, honest, and loyal individuals. No one entrusts something truly valuable to someone who is unreliable and unstable. God considers wisdom to be exceedingly valuable. Can He trust you with it?

Would YOU Hire YOU?

 

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage, and todays Devotion?

 

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

 

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

  

GOD TALKING TO ME: FEBRUARY 15, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
    Leviticus 19 – Leviticus 22
   Proverbs 4:9 – 11

 

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
   Leviticus 7-8
   Matthew 27:1-32

 

Understanding Wisdom
February 14, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 4:5-8
Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

        Some of the wise comments my dad shared with me as I was growing up were: “nothing in this world is free,” “if you want something, you must work for it,” and “anything worth having is worth working for.” Buried deep within my father’s logic is what Solomon was saying in today’s Proverbs: Wisdom is the most important thing you can obtain. So, get wisdom.

      How do you get wisdom? Well, first, we must see that it doesn’t say “find wisdom,” it says “get wisdom.” There is an action involved on our part. Reading the book of Proverbs will not give you wisdom; it provides you with words of wisdom to live by. However, you still must put action to the words as you live.

       If you carry a Bible everywhere you go but never apply its principles to your life, it can’t help you. When you learn a principle, it becomes knowledge. It’s what people often refer to as book smarts. You have it in your head, but you never use it.

      Wisdom is taking that knowledge and applying it to your everyday life. As you do so, you’ll begin to understand how it all works together. However, first, you must purpose in your heart that you will apply the knowledge received from God. Once you see that God’s ways are the best ways, you will never want to let them go. You’ll embrace them for eternity.
 

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     You might start by asking God for the same thing David did in Psalms 119:18 when He prayed, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” God is the teacher of all wisdom through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Ask for wisdom. The Bible says that we have not because we ask not. Let’s ask for it and apply it today.

Have you sought the Wisdom of God today?

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage, and todays Devotion?

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

  

GOD TALKING TO ME: FEBRUARY 14, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
    Leviticus 15 – Leviticus 18
   Proverbs 4:5 – 8

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
   Leviticus 4-6
   Matthew 26:57-75

Disciplines
February 13, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 4:1-4
Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

     “Someday son, you will see I am right,” or “when will you learn child, that when I tell you something, I know what I am talking about?” These words have rung in my ears for years. My dad would tell me something, and I would for some silly reason, believe my way was better. Guess what, it was not!

      Proverbs 4:1 says, “Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father.” The word instruction here, in Hebrew, carried the meaning of discipline. It could say the discipline of your father.

       What did you just think of when you read the word discipline? I know I think of getting a spanking. That is one form of discipline used when I would not obey. However, that is a discipline I received for a discipline I would not obey. You see the word “discipline,” also includes the meaning of a controlled behavior. In today’s passage, the father asks his son to grasp one single word,“instruction.” If you’re willing to listen to the lessons in discipline that I, your father, have acquired through years of practice and then follow these teachings diligently, you can steer clear of the consequences that arise from disobedience.

      This is exactly what all of life is about. It is about learning to live with disciplines. In fact, that is what Jesus was doing while here on earth. He was teaching the disciplines of life to His disciples. If they would learn, and then adhere to them, the blessing from God would follow. If they went about their own way, they would also suffer the consequence of disobedience. When God, in Genesis 1, created this earth and everything on it, it was all set in order, disciplined. And He said, “It is good.”

      

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     How many times do you need to bump your head on something before you learn to duck? How many times must we see that God’s ways are always the best before we will obey? When we willingly do His will and follow His life disciplines, “It is good.”

What instruction from the Father did you hear today?

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage, and todays Devotion?

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

  

GOD TALKING TO ME: FEBRUARY 13, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
    Leviticus 13 – Leviticus 14
   Proverbs 4:1 – 4

 

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
   Leviticus 1-3
   Matthew 26:26-56

Guilty, or Not Guilty!
February 12, 2024

DAILY PROVERB:

Proverbs 3:33-35
The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just. Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly. The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

 

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

        Whenever I go into jails to minister, it amazes me how many people claim to be innocent. When talking with them about their cases, they often shift the blame to someone else. They insist they were framed, tricked, not even present, or accuse someone of lying about the whole situation. Rarely do you encounter someone who simply admits, “I did it.” No excuses, no alibis, just a straightforward admission of guilt.

      The truth is, almost every single one of them is in jail because they are there for a reason. Even though some may be innocent of the specific crimes they are charged with, they are there due to the company they kept, the places they frequented, the actions they took, and the lifestyle they led. They have found themselves in shameful circumstances. While this isn’t always the case, the majority of inmates are there because of their choices, and those who are genuinely innocent are in the minority.

      Why does this happen? Why is it that they end up in trouble with the law, or in most cases, in trouble with life itself? Many times, it’s because they’ve turned their backs on the wisdom of God’s Word. They’ve rejected the knowledge written in its pages, or worse, never read the advice contained in it at all.

      People want to be independent and make it on their own, but they can’t. God created us to be dependent. First of all, we are to be dependent on Him, for it is God who provides us with all things. We are also created to be dependent on one another. He created the church for this purpose. The church was formed so that we might exhort and encourage one another. Still, “The wise shall inherit glory, but shame shall be the promotion of fools.” Wow, what a promotion.     

 

THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     God has so much more for you. His desire is to supply all your needs. Turn to Him and His Word. Let Him come in and bless you above all you could ever imagine. You really don’t want this promotion in life, do you?

Guilty, or Not Guilty?

 

IF YOU ARE JOURNALING:

Ask yourself, what are MY THOUGHTS concerning this Passage, and todays Devotion?

 

Do I find within this reading a CHALLENGE for my life?

 

What are one or two things I WILL DO today or this week to accept that CHALLENGE?

 

  

GOD TALKING TO ME: FEBRUARY 12, 2024

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH A DAILY PROVERBS
    Leviticus 9 – Leviticus 12
   Proverbs 3:33 – 35

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
   Exodus 39-40
   Matthew 26:1-25